Brewer’s Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus
Brewer's Blackbirds are a common sight across Oregon, frequently found in open areas, parks, agricultural fields, and even urban parking lots. They exhibit a distinct difference between the sexes.
Male Brewer's Blackbirds in Oregon:
Overall Color: Males are strikingly **glossy black** all over.
Iridescence: In good light, their plumage shimmers with beautiful iridescent hues. The head and neck often show a purple sheen, while the body and wings tend to have a bluish-green metallic gloss. This iridescence can be quite striking.
Eyes: A key distinguishing feature is their piercing, bright yellow or creamy white eyes, which stand out sharply against their dark plumage.
Bill: They have a straight, conical, and relatively stout black bill.
Size: Males are generally slightly larger than females.
Tail: Their tail is typically square-ended and relatively shorter compared to some other blackbird species like grackles.
Female Brewer's Blackbirds in Oregon:
Overall Color: Females are much less vibrant and more subdued. They are primarily a plain, dusky or grayish-brown overall.
Underparts: Their underparts may be a slightly paler grayish-brown.
Iridescence: While largely dull brown, some females may show a very faint hint of the male's metallic greenish sheen on their back in the right lighting conditions, but it's never as prominent as on the male.
Eyes: Unlike the male's bright yellow eyes, the female's eyes are typically dark brown. (Occasionally, some females may have a pale eye, but it's much less common than in males).
Bill: Similar in shape to the male's, but perhaps slightly less robust, and black.
Size: Females are smaller than males.
Key Identification Points and Distinctions:
Eye Color: This is often the quickest way to distinguish males (yellow eye) from females (dark eye) and from other similar blackbirds.
Male Iridescence: The purple and greenish iridescence of the male is unique among the common blackbirds in Oregon.
Female Plainness: The plain, unstreaked grayish-brown of the female Brewer's Blackbird helps differentiate her from the streaky female Red-winged Blackbird or the brown-headed female Brown-headed Cowbird.
Bill Shape: Both sexes have a relatively short, thick, and straight bill, which helps distinguish them from the longer-tailed, longer-billed Common Grackle.
Brewer's Blackbirds are highly adaptable and are a common sight foraging on the ground in open spaces across Oregon, often walking with a distinctive head-jerking motion.
Male Brewer's Blackbirds in Oregon:
Overall Color: Males are strikingly **glossy black** all over.
Iridescence: In good light, their plumage shimmers with beautiful iridescent hues. The head and neck often show a purple sheen, while the body and wings tend to have a bluish-green metallic gloss. This iridescence can be quite striking.
Eyes: A key distinguishing feature is their piercing, bright yellow or creamy white eyes, which stand out sharply against their dark plumage.
Bill: They have a straight, conical, and relatively stout black bill.
Size: Males are generally slightly larger than females.
Tail: Their tail is typically square-ended and relatively shorter compared to some other blackbird species like grackles.
Female Brewer's Blackbirds in Oregon:
Overall Color: Females are much less vibrant and more subdued. They are primarily a plain, dusky or grayish-brown overall.
Underparts: Their underparts may be a slightly paler grayish-brown.
Iridescence: While largely dull brown, some females may show a very faint hint of the male's metallic greenish sheen on their back in the right lighting conditions, but it's never as prominent as on the male.
Eyes: Unlike the male's bright yellow eyes, the female's eyes are typically dark brown. (Occasionally, some females may have a pale eye, but it's much less common than in males).
Bill: Similar in shape to the male's, but perhaps slightly less robust, and black.
Size: Females are smaller than males.
Key Identification Points and Distinctions:
Eye Color: This is often the quickest way to distinguish males (yellow eye) from females (dark eye) and from other similar blackbirds.
Male Iridescence: The purple and greenish iridescence of the male is unique among the common blackbirds in Oregon.
Female Plainness: The plain, unstreaked grayish-brown of the female Brewer's Blackbird helps differentiate her from the streaky female Red-winged Blackbird or the brown-headed female Brown-headed Cowbird.
Bill Shape: Both sexes have a relatively short, thick, and straight bill, which helps distinguish them from the longer-tailed, longer-billed Common Grackle.
Brewer's Blackbirds are highly adaptable and are a common sight foraging on the ground in open spaces across Oregon, often walking with a distinctive head-jerking motion.